Chot Reyes has bid goodbye to his duties as the head coach of Gilas Pilipinas.

“I came out of retirement to coach Gilas because MVP [SBP chairman emeritus Manny V. Pangilinan] asked me back in October 2016. Amid my growing responsibilities in 5 and other big projects, I accepted, because I have complete trust in MVP’s judgement and more importantly, because it was an opportunity to serve the country,” the decorated mentor announced in a statement to ESPN5, followed by a post to his social media accounts.

“We have long worked for full support from all of Philippine basketball’s major stakeholders – from Coach Rajko Toroman’s time, to my stint in 2013 to 2014, then Coach Tab Baldwin, until my current tenure. Now that the PBA has opened its doors fully to the SBP [Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas] and the national team, it is time for me to step aside and contribute in a different capacity, focusing on the 2023 program.”

A staunch believer of the team’s dribble-drive offense, Reyes served two tours as the head coach of the national team, starting in 2005. He left the post in 2014, but once again assumed the reigns two years later, replacing Tab Baldwin.

Although his coaching style has received mixed reactions from pundits in the past, the 55-year-old bench boss has accumulated quite the resume in international tournaments. His finest moment came in the 2013 FIBA Asia Championship, where he led the Philippines to a silver medal finish and punched a ticket to the 2014 FIBA World Cup.

The 5-time PBA Coach of the year assured that he will still “contribute in a different capacity” for the national team, and will focus on the country’s co-hosting duties in the 2023 Fiba World Cup.

Interim national team coach Yeng Guiao, meanwhile, is expected to takeover the post full-time after leading the hastily-assembled RoS-Pilipinas team to an impressive fifth place finish in the 2018 Asian Games.
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